A police report into Dunblane killer Thomas Hamilton has failed to cast
any light on why authorities did not prevent his gun licence being
renewed.

The 230-page dossier had been widely tipped to give information on
Hamilton's application for a handgun licence, and outline his alleged
links to the Masonic movement.

Instead it detailed four investigations that were conducted against
Hamilton between 1988 and 1993 over complaints about alleged abuse and
mistreatment of boys at youth camps he ran.

Unemployed Hamilton killed 16 primary school children and their teacher
in Dunblane in March 1996 before taking his own life.

One document describes an investigation into a complaint made by
parents whose child attended a youth club at Stirling High School. One
parent, whose name was blanked out in the report, made the complaint in
July 1993.

The parent claimed their child had been set to attend football coaching
run by Hamilton, but it was subsequently discovered the boy had been made
to wear a tight gym costume and carry out gymnastics while photographs
were taken of him.

The police report raised concerns Hamilton "induces certain children to
dress in very tight, ill-fitting tunics which he provides for them outwith
the knowledge of parents" and took photographs of them in "questionable
circumstances".

It also stated that Glasgow-born Hamilton had been reported to the
procurator fiscal on two occasions over his behaviour to children, but it
is not clear what happened to the cases.

Details of the investigations into Hamilton, who had run various youth
clubs for boys throughout central Scotland, and subsequent police action,
were considered by a 1996 public inquiry led by Lord Cullen.